Constraints on Subsumption and Amalgamation Processes in the Lexical Constructional Model: the Case of phone and email

This article deals with the study of the processes of lexical-constructional integration, or subsumption, of the verbs phone and email (as representatives of the subclass of verbs of instrument of communication) into the English dative and ditransitive argument-structure constructions. The exploration of the irregularities in such processes has led us to postulate the existence and explore the activity of two phrasal constructions, namely the X About Y and the X With Y constructions. These phrasal constructions may combine, on the basis of level-internal constructional amalgamation with the transitive construction as required by the semantic nature of the direct object, thus giving rise to a combined construction into which both verbs may subsume. The Lexical Constructional Model (LCM) provides the necessary analytical tools for the development of this study, especially the set of internal and external constraints that regulate subsumption and amalgamation.